Method of making footwear



April 18, 1933. w. H. BRESNAHAN 1,904,851

METHOD OF MAKING FOOTWEAR Original Filed April 24, 1928 Apr. 18, 1.933.

-'UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 'WILLIAI H. BEESNAHAN, 0]' LYINN,- HASSAUHUSETTB, ASSIGNOB, IBY HISNEAASSIGN- IENTB,.TO COIPO SHOE IACHINEBY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A GOB- PORATION OF DELAWARE IETHOD OF -MAKING' FOOTWEAR ririnll application Iled April M, 19288, Serial lo. 278,448. Divided and this application med December 5,v

1888. Serial No. 823,917.

vhave disclosed and claimed broadly a method ofand -a paratus for use in making footwear of t at type in which the outer sole is permanently secured in lace by means of an adhesive instead of t e usual fasteners,

- such as stitches, nails, and etc. The present invention relates to a specific application of.

said broad method to the production of shoes of arch supporting type, and to arch sup.- portingshoes made in accordance therewith, and has as a general object the production of a novel and improved type of arch supportg shoe in a convenient, eicient and economical manner.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a process of making an arch supporting shoe in a manner such that pre-formation of the inner sole is unnecessary and that the finished shoe will include a permanently positioned hump or elevation which does not break the. smooth continuity of the inner sole and which provides a proper arch support for the foot.

Many attempts have been madexto provide shoes of usual type with arch supporting elements, but most prior attempts ha-ve necessitated special preparation of the inner and outer soles, or the employment of troublesome process steps, all of which add materially to the cost ofV manufacture, so

that arch supporting shoes can not competel in the market with ordinary shoes.

In accordance with the-present invention it is possible to make arch supporting shoes embodying arch sup orting means of approved character w1 out aiecting the external appearance ofthe shoe, and at acost not substantially in excess of that of shoes of ordinary type made by the same general process. I n carrying my novel process into eiect I prepare the inner and outer soles of the shoe in the usual way, but employ a last havingA a cavity in its bottom at a point corresponding to the desired position of the arch support. In applying the outer rsole to the shoe bottom, I introducean arch supporting pad of any suitable material and of dproper configuration between the inner an, outer soles, registering the pad with the hollow in the last, it being understood that the opposite surfaces of the inner and outer soles have previously been made adhesive by the interposition of some suitable medium. The shoe, with its outer sole, is now clamped in a pressure applying mold having an injiatable pad, on which the outer sole rests. Pressure uid is admitted to the pad to inate the latter, thus causing the sole and shoe bottom as a whole to conform closely to the bottom of the last. The interposed pad forces the inner sole into the cavity in the last, thus producing av hump or eleva-y tion in the upper surface of the shoe bottom.

The shoe is permitted to remain in the mould until the adhesive has set, and when re' moved the parts of the shoe bottom are so firmly united as to prevent subsequent relative movement, and thus the hump is permanently retained. This hump or elevation I constitutes a very effective arch support but does not detract from the appearance of the shoe, requires no special shaping ofthe outer sole or other parts constituting the shoe bottom, and in' accordance with this method may be provided without substantially increasing the cost of. production.

In the accompanying drawing 'I have illustrated a shoe` made in accordance with the present invention, together with certain' instrumentalities employed in theprocess of ymaking this shoe, it being understood that .ashoe mounted upon a last and with parts of the upper, sole and last broken away and in section to show the arch supporting. hump; Fig. 2 is a composite view showing an4 arch supporting pad of onevdesirable type, in plan and in sectlon, respectively;

the

asl

10oVV F' ,3' is a composite view showin a shoe las't m bottom plan view, and in si e elevation (partly in section), res ectlvely, indicating the provision of a ho ow or cavity; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section illustrating a l jmolding press useful in carrying the present l processv into' effect.

lIl() .able contour in accordance with'the shape of the hump or elevation. `I .also ro- Referring to the drawing, the numeral v1 designates 'the upper of a shoe having an outer sole 2 and an innersole 3. In preparingvthe shoe according to the present process, one may make the inner andouter soles ofnormal construction, that is to' say, ofa construction such. as is usually employed 1n shoes of the particularl style and grade to be manufactured and l,without reference to the arch-supporting feature'. One then selects a last 4 of theproper vshape foruse in making a shoe of the selected style, but modifies-this lastby forming, cavity 6 in its lower surface. Thiscavity is formed at the. de-

sired location of thearch supporting elevation -or hump and may be ma e of an stuit esire vide an arch supporting pad 5 ofrub r, leather, fiber, or the like aving a contour generally similar to that of the cavity 6.

V'The --upper 1 and inner sole 3 are assemvcontact with the shoe-bottom. Before registering the outer sole with the shoe bottom, one or both of the contacting surfaces is coated with a suitable adhesive. The outer sole.

is .now subjected to pressure, preferably in a mold in which the parts may be clamped and held in assembled relation while the adhesive is setting.

A suitable mold for the purpose vis illustrated in Fig. 4. This mold comprises a frame 7 adapted-to support a pressure-applying pad 8. Preferably this pad is hollow and'adapt'-, ed to be inflated by means of a pressure fluid,

` which may be admitted through a valved inlet 9v and exhausted through a valved outlet 10.

-The frame also comprises an upright 11 to which is pivotally secured a clamping bar 12.v

-This bar preferably carries a spindle 13' adapted to enter the usual socket in the last,

and a forepart pad 14 adapted to engage the forepart of the upper. A retaining element 15 is adapted to engage one of -a series of notches in the end of the bar 12 to hold the latter in adjusted position.

After the ol'lter sole Vhas been registered with the shoe bottom as above described, (the pad having been interposed' between the soles) it is set upon the upper surface of the mitted through the inlet 9 to inflate the pad 8. This pressure fluid may be compressed air or liquid, as may be preferred, and the pressure is suiiicient to force the pad 5 upwardly until the inner sole bulges up into the cavity 6 of the last. Since thevouter sole is usually heavier than the inner sole, the interposed ad 5 makes itself apparent only in ra bulging of the inner sole, the' outer surface of the outer sole retaining its normal configuration. The parts are allowed to remain in the mold until the adhesive between the inner and outer soles is set, thus permanently uniting the inner and outer soles and at the same time retainin the bulge 6 formed in the inner sole above 51e pad. When the shoe is released from the mold, after the adhesive has set, its external appearance is not substantially different from that of an ordinary shoe of the same general construction and same style, but the inner sole presents a hump constituting an arch support at the desired point. This hump does not break the smooth continuity of the inner sole, although providing a proper support for the metatarsal arch of the foot. The support thus furnished is very eilicient for the purpose, I

but as above described does not necessitateany changein the preparation of the inner and outer soles, and adds but little to the cost of production of the shoe Since certain changes in carr ing out the i above method, and certain mo ifications in the article which embody the invention may be made without departing from its scope,

it is'intended that all matter contained inscope .o f the inventionwhich, as a matter of lan age, might be said to fall therebetween.

aving described my invention, what I claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. That method of providing a shoe, having inner and outer soles, with an arch support, which comprises as steps providing an arch-'supporting ad, providing a last having 'a cavity in its un er surface, lasting the shoe upon the last, dis osing the pad between the inner and outer so es and in registry with said cavity, the opposed surfaces of the inner and v outer soles being adhesive, and subjecting the shoe to pressure whereby 'permanently to unite the outer and inner soles and to cause` the inner Vsole to protrude into the cavity of last, thereby providin a hump onthe upper surface of the inner so e.

the last. 4

2. That method of making an. arch-*supporting shoe which-comprises as steps assembling an upper and inner sole and lastmg the upper upon a last-having a cavity in its bottom, preparing an outer sole, disposing a pad in contact with the inner sole in registry with the cavity inthe last bottom, applying the outer sole, with interposed adhesive, to the bottom of the shoe,` and subjectingthe outer sole to vpressure duringl the setting of the adhesive, vthe pressure being sufficient to cause the interposed padto force the inner sole intothe cavity inthe last, thereby lroviding a hump on vthe upper surface o the v inner sole. o

3. That method of making arch-supporting shoes which comprises as stepsV lasting an upper and an inner sole`of normal type on a last having a cavity in its bottom, preparing an outer sole of normal type, preparing a pad, disposing the pad in contact with the outer surface of the inner sole in registry with the cavity in the last, applying the outer sole to the shoe bottom, rst interposing adhesive between the outer sole and shoe bottom, and subjecting the outer sole to fluid pressure whereby to cause the padto force the inner sole into the cavity in the last bottom and retaining the parts in such position until .the adhesive has set.

4. That method of making an arch supporting shoe which includes as steps, incombination, placing a lasted upper. upon a last havingv a cavity in its bottom, disposing a pad in contact with the inner sole in registry with the cavity in the last bottom' and applying pressure to the pad suicient to cause the pad to force the inner soleinto the cavity in the.

last, thereby providing a hump on the upper surface of the inner sole.

5. That methodgof making an arch sup- I porting shoe which includes as ste s, in combmatlon, assembllng an upper an an lnner sole and lasting the upper upon a last having v inner solerand the pad., applying pressure to the bottom of the outer sole suficient to cause the interposed padto force the inner sole into the lcavity in theV last, thereby providing a hump on theupper surface of the inner sole, and securing the outer sole to the upper while o the pad is in said osition.

6. lThat metho lpl'essure'- to the pad suiicient to cause the pad to force theinner sole into the cavity in the of lmaking an arch sups Vgorting shoe which includes as steps, in com- IAM H. BRESNAHAN.4

ed by me at Boston, Massachusetts this l 4th ay-of December 1928.

e WILL 

